Two firefighters were rushed to the hospital on Wednesday, after a Tesla parked in a family garage exploded.
According to local station KING5, the incident happened in the Seattle suburb of Auburn, after a massive fire spread from a family’s garage to the rest of their home.
The Tesla explosion set off what ultimately became a two-alarm fire, requiring emergency crews to battle back flames for hours. Thankfully, the two injured firefighters were discharged with non-life threatening injuries, and nobody else was hurt, though the single-family home was pretty much totaled.
The ultimate cause of the fire is still under investigation — whether the Tesla combusted on its own, setting off the blaze, or was the result of a fire which started elsewhere isn’t known.
Still, it’s fair to assume the explosion contributed to the severity of the fire, the latest example of an all-too-common situation plaguing Teslas and other electric vehicles.
Thanks to their massive lithium batteries, Teslas have an unfortunate habit of bursting into flames, often after being involved incollisions, but occasionally entirelyon theirown.
Regardless of what sparks the flames, battery fires are notoriously difficult to put out, requiring specialized hazmat units and thousands of gallons of water to end the battery’s combustion.
Self-driving trucks could be hauling cargo across highways in the near future. But not without the Teamsters having a say in the matter first.
As Politico reports, the California branch of the nation’s largest union is suing state lawmakers, accusing them of rushing out new regulations that’re friendly to the autonomous vehicle industry without considering their impact on workers’ jobs.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, takes aim at several state agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles, and governor Gavin Newsom’s administration. The union contends that the new regulations are an “existential threat” to hundreds of thousands of union jobs, and is demanding that the DMV should be blocked from enforcing the new rules.
“The DMV irresponsibly, carelessly, and unlawfully kept the public in the dark about the true economic and human costs of the amended Autonomous Vehicle regulations,” Julie Gutman Dickinson, an attorney representing the Teamsters, said in a statement, per Politico.
“The only way to protect the public’s right to properly scrutinize regulations that will transform transportation in California is for the Court to order the DMV to immediately rescind the illegally enacted regulations,” Gutman added.
At the crux of the suit, the Teamsters say that the DMV didn’t conduct a mandatory economic study to gauge the effects of the new regulations. Instead, the lawmakers expediently used a process meant to fast-track minor updates that have minimal economic impact, they allege.
The DMV, puzzlingly, calculated that no jobs would be eliminated by self-driving trucks. Fat chance, according to the Teamsters: by its own count, over 200,000 semi-truck drivers could be put out of work.
The Teamsters also raised the danger posed by allowing computer systems to control a vehicle weighing tens of thousands of pounds, compared to the smaller threat posed by a robotaxi. A Tesla Semi — a vehicle that’s envisioned as having autonomous driving capabilities — was involved in a grisly crash that killed two people, though it doesn’t appear that self-driving features were being tested at the time of the accident.
This year has already proved bountiful for brilliant EV releases, with the likes of BMW unleashing the debut models from its groundbreaking Neue Klasse series, Mercedes-Benz unveiling the impressively efficient CLA and Hyundai pushing electric high performance to the max with its Ioniq 6 N.
Granted, I haven’t been able to drive absolutely everything that has gone on sale globally this year, but I have done my best to get behind the wheel of what, to me, feels like a crop of groundbreaking electric vehicles that push the powertrain forward.
From enormous, opulent vans to arguably the first 'kei car' to be sold in the UK, the spectrum of brilliant, battery-powered vehicles is as wide and as interesting as any internal combustion engine counterpart. Here’s my pick of the bunch.
6. Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
(Image credit: Hyundai)
I didn’t think Hyundai could improve much on the brilliant Ioniq 5 N, but the Ioniq 6 N seemingly takes everything that was great about the Korean marque's super hatch and seemingly turns performance up to eleven, while somehow making it more practical.
It takes the same recipe of simulated gears, synthesized engine noise and absurd straight-line performance and packages it in a more mature, long-distance-friendly sedan.
With 650 hp, 770 Nm of torque and a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds, it is seriously quick, but the revised suspension geometry and lower roll center make it considerably more composed at speed than its hot-hatch sibling.
The N e-Shift system now adds another simulated gear, while the upgraded sound system makes the artificial pops, bangs and revs remarkably convincing.
Yet it can switch back into a quiet, comfortable cruiser when the fun is over. Add 291 miles of WLTP range and 350 kW charging, and this might be the most complete performance EV I've driven, erm, ever.
The Kia EV2 might be small, but it has the sort of big-car technology and practicality that makes it surprisingly easy to live with. At just over four meters long, it packs a slick triple-screen infotainment setup, a huge array of driver-assistance systems and an interior that feels considerably roomier than its dimensions suggest. Imagine an EV5 or EV9 that’s been hit with a shrink ray and you’re not far off.
The 144 bhp version I drove didn’t feel particularly sporty, taking almost nine seconds to reach 62mph, but that isn't really the point. Its ride is excellent, it remains impressively composed at highway speeds and the Long Range version should comfortably break out of the usual urban EV routine.
Charging is also respectable, with a 10-80% session taking just under 30 minutes. Best of all, it makes a compelling case for ignoring that massive, heavy SUV for daily driving duties and settling for something that will happily slot into a supermarket parking space.
The Cupra Raval VZ is proof that small EVs don't have to be sensible or boring. With its squat proportions, aggressive styling and 19-inch wheels, it looks like a proper hot hatch, and the driving experience backs that up.
The 222 bhp front-wheel-drive powertrain can deliver 0-62 mph in 6.8 seconds, while Cupra mode brings huge amounts of grip, adjustable dynamic chassis control and a synthesized soundtrack to the party.
Yet it can settle down into a surprisingly comfortable and refined cruiser when required. I averaged around 4.5 miles per kWh during a day of enthusiastic driving, suggesting more than 200 miles of real-world range from the 52 kWh battery.
There's also a surprisingly spacious cabin and useful trunk, making the Raval an unusually convincing blend of fun and practicality — like all great hot hatches should be.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric is a handsome demonstration of just how far EV performance has come. With up to 1,156 hp available using Launch Control, it can hit 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds and reach 162 mph, making it the most powerful production Porsche yet.
Those figures are astonishing, but what impressed me most was how effectively Porsche hides the car's considerable bulk. Despite weighing around 2.5 tons, it feels remarkably composed through corners, with superb feedback through the steering wheel, active suspension and optional rear-axle steering helping shrink its footprint on the road. It is also a seriously capable long-distance EV, with up to 415 miles of range in Coupe form and 390 kW charging capable of delivering a 10-80% top-up in as little as 16 minutes.
Oh, and the world’s first 11 kW wireless charging functionality is far from a gimmick, showcasing just how effortless life with an EV can be if you can afford it.
The Honda Super-N might be one of the least practical cars I've driven this year on paper, but that's completely missing the point. This tiny electric runaround is an absolute riot, with 94 bhp sent through the front wheels, a perfectly composed chassis and a big Boost button that encourages you to attack corners with old-school hot-hatch enthusiasm.
At just 1,097 kg, it feels wonderfully light and responsive, while clever regenerative braking and virtual gear changes add to the fun. The 29.6 kWh battery only offers around 128 miles of range and charging tops out at 50 kW, so it's hardly a road-trip machine. But for urban driving, it makes a brilliant case for small EVs, proving that you don't need huge power or battery capacity to have a genuinely entertaining car.
It’s the posh electric van that makes you wonder if that massive family SUV is really the right vehicle for your daily needs. Mercedes’ all-new VLE combines huge amounts of space with the sort of refinement more commonly associated with an S-Class, while the excellent air suspension delivers an exceptionally smooth, quiet ride.
The clever Roll & Go rear seats are by far my favorite feature, sliding along built-in rails and rolling out of the vehicle on their own wheels when removed — transforming the plush people-mover from a seven-seat bus into the ultimate transportation for active outdoor lifestyles.
Range is impressive, too, with the single-motor VLE 300 capable of a claimed 435 miles thanks to its 115 kWh battery, while 300 kW charging makes long-distance driving much more realistic. Add superb infotainment technology, rear-wheel steering and limousine levels of comfort, and this is a hugely compelling EV for large families… so long as said families have a healthy vehicle budget.
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